Nova Patents
US8166207B2

Querying a device for information

Summary by NHIP

Processor write query handling

The apparatus receives a write query from a peripheral device requesting vendor specific information and transmits that information via a second write query. Ordering rules of the interconnect protocol terminate upon receiving the initial query, rendering the response independent of those rules.

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 9, the broadest

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving in a processor complex a first write request from a peripheral device, obtaining information of the processor complex responsive to the first write request, and transmitting a second write request from the processor complex to the peripheral device including the information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

US8166207B2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 7

Term

2.7 yearsleft in the term

Expires 27 May 2029, including 240 days of term adjustment.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Granted
  3. Today
  4. Expires

14 claims: 3 independent, 11 dependent

  1. 1
    An apparatus comprising:a processor complex including: an interface to communicate with a peripheral device via an interconnect, the interface to receive a write query from the peripheral device to perform a write operation to a first location of the processor complex, wherein the write query includes an indicator to request vendor specific information of the processor complex;a logic coupled to the first location, wherein the logic is to access the vendor specific information responsive to the write query and to generate a second write query to transmit the vendor specific information to the peripheral device, wherein ordering rules of a communication protocol of the interconnect terminate with respect to the write query when it is received in the logic, and the second write query is independent of the write query with respect to the ordering rules;a plurality of cores coupled to the logic to perform operations responsive to instructions;and a memory controller coupled to the logic to communicate with a memory.
  2. 9
    Broadest claimClaim Score 65, broad(NHIP)A system comprising:a processor complex including an interface to communicate with a peripheral device via an interconnect, a plurality of cores to perform operations responsive to instructions, and a memory controller to communicate with a memory, the interface to receive a write request from the peripheral device to write information to the processor complex, wherein the write request is to be handled by the processor complex as if it were a read request such that the processor complex is to transmit a second write request to the peripheral device that includes vendor specific information of the processor complex;the peripheral device coupled to the processor complex via the interconnect, wherein the peripheral device is to generate the write request on initialization of the system;and the memory coupled to the processor complex.
  3. 12
    A system comprising:a processor complex including: an interface to couple to a peripheral device via an interconnect, the interface to receive a first write query from the peripheral device to perform a write operation to a first location of the processor complex, the first write query to request vendor specific information of the processor complex;a logic coupled to the first location to access the vendor specific information responsive to the first write query and to generate a second write query to transmit the vendor specific information to the peripheral device, wherein the first and second write queries avoid data dependency and ordering rules of a communication protocol of the interconnect for a read request;and a plurality of cores coupled to the logic to perform operations responsive to instructions;a memory controller coupled to the logic to communicate with a memory;and the memory coupled to the processor complex.